Patrolling the Green Line

If you like hockey, you’ve heard of the red line and the blue line. But for the Canadian peacekeepers who served in Cyprus, there was one that was much more important— the “Green Line.” Cyprus is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. The Green Line is a neutral zone that runs across the island, separating the two main groups who live there. They have struggled for control of Cyprus over the years, sometimes fighting each other. It could often get very tense along the Green Line as conflicts erupted!

The street banner for Cyprus sure is neat and it gives a good idea of what our peacekeepers have done there. The Canadian soldier with the distinctive blue United Nations cap is looking carefully through binoculars. In a place where there has been violence and people are learning how to get along with each other, it is important to keep an eye open for problems—kind of like trying to stop bullying in schools or being a referee in a game. In the banner’s background we can also see one of the little armoured cars that Canadian peacekeepers once used to patrol the beautiful Cyprus countryside.

Large groups of Canadian Armed Forces members served on the island between 1964 and 1993, and a small Canadian presence is still there. In total, more than 33,000 Canadian peacekeepers have served in Cyprus over the years. Sadly, 28 of our soldiers lost their lives there trying to help restore peace. We will remember them.